Thursday 18 February 2010

Are dog owners more moral than cat owners?

Times Higher Education writer Felipe Fernández-Armesto disputes the findings of the so-called research that cat owners are more intelligent than dog owners. Dog owners, he opines, are more moral than cat owners - because dogs are more moral than cats. Their morality is deduced from the fact that they are loyal to their families and don't bring in dead mice or birds. And their ownership brings one into contact with other people, cos you are always talking to other dog owners. The reluctantly single might like to know that 'Many Manhattan romances start at dog-walking hour in Central Park'. Also, you can have fun with chains and leads without being perverse. Dog owners are supposed to like people; actually, I don't, but I suppose that's the cat owner in me.

Anyway, the piece is worth a read, and you can see it at http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=410391&c=1.

Sunday 7 February 2010

Are cat owners more intelligent than dog owners?

It appears, according to research by the Cats' Protection League, that cat owners are more likely to have a university degree than dog owners.

But what about, one might ask, those who (like myself) have both? Well, such people as us, it would appear, are in a minority. Only 7 per cent of the nation's 20.8 million pet owners own both a dog and a cat. Which, according to Matthew Moore of the Daily Telegraph, confirms that the two species are deadly rivals.

And that observation has persuaded me to rouse myself from my Sunday afternoon torpor to add to my blog. Clearly the world needs a blog about how dogs and cats can live together.

Part of the reason why I've not posted anything is because the past few months have been so uneventful in the cat/dog war/peace. Emily (the cat), Paddy (the springer spaniel) and Nelson (golden retriever) all seem to be living together quite harmoniously. Mainly they ignore one another. Emily would be highly put out if another cat strayed into her territory but dogs she considers beneath her notice.

The only problems are that the spaniel, who is a stomach on legs, attempts to steal her food whilst the retriever, a gentleman and new dog who wouldn't dare steal her food, steals her water in stead. That doesn't seem worth writing about.

There is something so satisfying about having dogs and cats together. Different species, with the potential for hostility, agreeably sharing space and just hanging out together, does make for a peaceful environment. And cats offer things that most dogs don't - they purr, for a start, they curl up on your knee and provide you with an excuse to be waited on (darling, I've a cat, can you fetch me my wine glass), they turn up their nose at food. They also look very elegant (ours doesn't, she's only got half a tail and is quite overweight).

So, why don't more people have both?